


The Lady of Elden Hall

by Dreamin



Category: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice (2005), Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28596708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Charles arranges a marriage between Caroline and a friend of their late parents. She is decidedly less than thrilled.
Relationships: Caroline Bingley/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> Set 2 years after the events of _Pride and Prejudice_.
> 
>   
> 

“You cannot be serious, Charles,” Caroline Bingley declared as she stared at her brother. Charles had said some ridiculous things in the past but this time, she was certain, he had completely taken leave of his senses.

“I’m only doing what’s best for you,” he said, looking like he wanted to quail under her glare but standing his ground for once. “You’re five-and-twenty, you have very little time left to find a husband. Thurston’s a good man, he’ll treat you well. Mother and Father thought the world of him.”

“All I remember is being fearful of this mountain of a man who visited us once a year.”

Charles had the gall to chuckle. “Yes, a man of his height would seem that way to a small child, but he has never been anything but gentle, I swear.”

“If he’s such a good man, then why has he never married?” she asked, grinning smugly. “There must be some fault in him.”

“My only fault,” said a deep, vaguely familiar, and decidedly annoyed voice from the doorway, “was in waiting for you to grow up, Miss Caroline. Perhaps I should have waited longer.”

Charles grinned like he’d just heard the best joke ever told and Caroline ignored him as she stiffened her spine and slowly turned to face her presumed fiancé. Thurston Caldwell, Marquess of Brackley, was a tall, broad-shouldered man of fifty, though you wouldn’t know it from his black hair that held no trace of grey or the intensity of his green-eyed gaze.

As a child, the mere sight of him would send Caroline running to hide behind her mother’s skirts. He had an intimidating presence, at least to her. As a grown woman, she still felt intimidated, but some traitorous part of her couldn’t help but notice that the marquess was an attractive man.

He bowed to her and she curtsied in return then he turned to her brother. “You must forgive the intrusion, Charles. I was eager to know your sister’s reaction.”

The lack of attention rankled her. “His sister is right here and wondering why she should agree to this as you haven’t bothered with even basic civility.”

“Why don’t I leave you to it?” Charles asked as he quickly got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lord Brackley went to the sideboard and poured two glasses of wine then held one out to her.

Caroline stayed where she was, her arms crossed. “I only drink wine with dinner.”

“That’s just an hour from now and we have serious matters to discuss.”

“You and my brother seemed to have settled things on your own,” she said, more than a hint of bitterness in her tone. “There is nothing left for me to do but agree to this insanity.”

“Is it insanity?” he asked, his tone philosophical, as he approached her, a wineglass in each hand. “I thought it was a business arrangement.” When he was standing in front of her, he held out the glass again.

Caroline took the glass then took a sip. _Thank God Netherfield has such a good wine cellar._ “Then it’s my fortune you’re after, not me.” She was surprised to realize that hurt somewhat.

Lord Brackley smirked. “Do you really not know? I have thirty thousand pounds a year, I have no need of your fortune. No, it’s you I want.” He took a sip of his wine, muttering, “God help me.”

Caroline’s eyes widened at the mention of his wealth, then they narrowed. “Why should God help you? Or I, for that matter? Why should I agree to any of this?”

“Because you won’t find another man willing to overlook your barbed tongue, nor will you find another who can lift you into the high society circles you long to join so dearly.”

The fact that he could read her so easily rankled. “Then why should I marry at all? I’m perfectly content on my own, and I have enough money to live on for years.”

“Years, yes, but not the rest of your life. Think of what I’m offering you – an estate in Northampshire, a townhouse in London, more wealth than you’ve ever known, a title, children.”

“I don’t want children,” she said without hesitation. “They’re obnoxious little monsters.”

“Spoken like someone who wasn’t a holy terror when she was a child,” he said, smirking, as he took a sip of his wine.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean, my lord – I was an angel, ask anyone.”

Lord Brackley smiled a bit. “A fallen angel, perhaps.” He set his wineglass on the desk then turned to her. “As it stands, I need an heir.”

She turned away from him and walked over to the large window. The grounds of the estate gave her something other than her rapidly altering future to focus on. “You could have one with any woman.”

“Yes, but I only want one with you.”

Caroline turned back to him, surprised. “Why?”

He approached her slowly, like a cat stalking a bird. “Because, Caroline Edith Bingley, as much of a shrew as you are, you are still the only woman in England I can see myself marrying. Now, will you consent to this marriage or must I bring your brother back in here and have him tell you how advantageous it would be?”

While she knew the law would protect her from any forced marriage, she also knew she was quickly running out of options. _There are worse things than being a marchioness._ “I want my own bedroom, both at your estate and in London, and I want your word that you will only come to me for procreation.” _I’ll submit to him when I must but I’ll be damned if I do it more than necessary._

He chuckled. “Nothing would please me more.”

“And as for the marriage settlement, I want enough pin money to make the ladies of London green with envy, portions that befit the children of a marquess, and a jointure that will keep me in luxury the rest of my life.” _I might as well make the most of this._

“As I have already discussed with your brother, you and our children will be well taken care of, Caroline.”

Hearing him call her by just her name caused an odd fluttering in her stomach but she ignored it. “Then yes, I will marry you.”

He grinned wryly. “God help us both.”


	2. Chapter 2

“I don’t suppose there’s a ring?” his fiancée asked hopefully.

Thurston chuckled as he pulled the ring out of his waistcoat pocket. “I knew your greedy little heart wouldn’t be satisfied without one.”

Caroline rolled her eyes. “I’m not greedy, I simply prefer the best things in life.” She held out her left hand expectantly.

He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger. The center stone was a large oval sapphire and it was surrounded by a ring of small round colorless diamonds then a ring of slightly larger round sapphires. He impulsively kissed her knuckles before releasing her hand.

She assessed him for a moment then held her hand up to the light, assessing the ring like any jeweler. “Flawless,” she murmured with a satisfied smile.

Thurston chuckled again. “Unlike its recipient, but then if you were flawless, you’d be infinitely less interesting.”

Caroline turned back to him, one elegant eyebrow raised. “A moment ago, you called me a shrew; before that, you said I was still a child; and just now you called me greedy, yet you’re saying I’d be less interesting without those traits?”

“I will admit that no one is perfect, but you could do with a few less flaws.” He had an urge to touch her. If he were honest with himself, he’d had that urge since he’d walked into the room. “If you were a diamond, Caroline,” he murmured, “you’d have a crack running down the middle, about here.” He lightly ran a finger down the bridge of her nose, giving in to his urge and unexpectedly making her shiver.

_She’s such a tiny thing. I could crush her if I’m not careful. But then, she’s still afraid of me, so I doubt I’ll get the chance to show her I can be gentle anytime soon._

Caroline moved around him and crossed to the other side of the room. “I suppose I should ask what you expect in a wife, outside of the bedroom.”

“What any man expects – bear and raise our children, be a charming hostess at our parties, and a charming guest at everyone else’s.”

“That doesn’t sound too terrible, except for the bearing children part, of course, but that can’t be everything.”

“The occasional civilized conversation, of course.” Then he muttered, “Not like this.”

She scoffed. “If anyone is uncivilized right now, it’s you, my lord.” She sat down on the settee in a huff.

Thurston chuckled. “What can I say, you bring out the worst in me.” He sat down next to her, his arm along the back of it. His fingers just brushed against the top of her sleeve.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Then why are you marrying me? We haven’t seen each other in fifteen years.”

“Seven years.”

She frowned in confusion. “What? No, the last time I saw you was when you came here the summer before my mother passed. I was ten.”

“And the last time I saw you was Lord and Lady Buchanan’s End of the Season ball. You were eighteen.”

“That was my first Season,” she said, staring at him.

He smiled a bit. “Yes, I followed your progress from afar, starting with your presentation at Court. You wore the same emeralds your mother wore at her presentation.”

“Why did you never approach me?”

“It had been eight years, you had lost both parents, I didn’t think it proper. I was content to simply watch over you from afar.” He took another sip of his wine. “I was surprised to see a woman when I had last seen a child. It must have been then that I first found you attractive.”

She blushed becomingly. “But that was still seven years ago, why haven’t you approached me since?”

“Because it didn’t take long to see that while your body had matured, you still had a great deal of growing up to do. To be honest, you still haven’t fully matured, but I can no longer wait.”

“Thank you for that, my lord,” she muttered.

“We’re engaged, Caroline – you’re allowed to call me Thurston.”

The glare she shot him would have quailed a lesser man. “So, I’m not good enough for you yet but you’re marrying me now anyway because otherwise, I’ll be too old to have your heir, is that it?”

“I’m marrying you now because I can’t bear the thought of another man claiming you,” he said patiently, though his was starting to wear thin. “I nearly presented myself to you when Charles told me you were interested in his friend, but when he said Darcy wasn’t interested, I backed off.”

“You’re not making any sense,” she said quietly. “You spoke to Charles?”

“We write each other frequently. I heard all about the Bennets, Darcy, and you.”

“Did he know of your interest?”

“Not until recently.” He set his wineglass down then gently took her hand. “Caroline, I want to help you become the woman you were meant to be. That is why I want to marry you, having an heir someday is secondary.”

She stared at him. “I’m fine the way I am.”

“Really? Is that why you have no husband and no prospects, despite your fortune and connections? No man wants a shrew.”

“Except you, apparently,” she muttered.

“I want you, Caroline. All of you – the shrew you are now and the good woman you will be. I want to be your husband, your lover, and the father of your children. You want to make every lady in London envious of your pin money? Well, I want to make every man in London jealous of me for having the finest woman in the world as my wife.”

She stared at him for a heartbeat before getting up and fleeing the room.

_Damn._


End file.
